LTC

which stohlman book? there's a lot more than one...

have you seen this... and this... what type of awl are you using to make your holes after you use the pricking iron? how far are you pushing the awl through? are you creating the overhand knot as Nigel demonstrates in the second video? if that thread tends to want to loosen on you after you pull it taut, maybe your holes are too big or the thread too small... you could always try putting in an extra overhand knot, similar to how the surgeon's knot is made. it creates more tension so the knot will have less of a tendency to come undone while you're doing the next stitch...

yeah it is so difficult for me personally to find anything with the search feature on here, i wanted to put it where folks can find the info. good luck with the sale...sounds like a heavy duty machine...

yeah, i knew that when i posted it. i just thought it might help someone out if they wondered what kind of machine it is...

some info i found on here on the 12f in case it helps others that might be interested in this machine..... http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=31064

just remember...practice doesn't make perfect -- perfect practice does. strive to make perfect, straight lines every time. you'll get it.

that was very helpful! is there any way we might be able to obtain the full document? I've been looking for a tutorial to make a round box for a while now.

Nigel says to straddle the scribed stitch line, but ok. also, David...check out your work area. it may help if you are physically closer to your work (i.e. reduce the distance between your head and your bench)...it should help you be able to see better. some folks even wear reading glasses or jeweler's magnifier to be able to see better. once you can see your work more closely, you may find it easier to straddle that stitch line. just some ideas...

Putting a nice crease around the edges would look better. also, something is going on with your edge beveling. might want to practice it on some scrap. not sure if you did anything to burnish the edges. if not, look for Mr. Park's guide on burnishing on here. also check out Nigel Armitage's videos on youtube, in particular the saddle stitch in detail. the leather looks nice. did you buy it that way or did you stain it?

you just need to practice to get better at straight lines with the pricking iron. you are scribing a light stitch line with a compass or dividers (or straight edge) to follow with your pricking iron, right?

so.......did you burnish the edges? can't tell from the pics.

what kind of thread did you use? looks pretty fuzzy...

you might want to give this a good read first before you go with a mallet. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=55428

i would appreciate that very much...i'll send you a pm... thank you!

i'm not sure if this will help folks, but i wanted to share something i've done that has helped me a great deal. when i began collecting patterns, tutorials, etc. i found a nice binder that i'd had hidden away and some page protector sheets. what i do is when i find a good tutorial online, i usually bookmark it on my web browser. but i also will go ahead and print it out if it is something i may want to try in the near future. then i put the printed pages into the binder in the screen protectors. this way, you can take the plans with you out to your work area so you'll have them right there in front of you to refer to. i know many of you probably have ipads and tablets and stuff and that's fine. i have one too. i just don't want to take it out to the shop area so the printouts come in handy for that. anyway, it is a good way to organize your patterns and all. you could even get some of the tabbed dividers so you could organize your binder by type of project, e.g. wallets, bags, keychains, etc. anyway like i said, it's just an idea i had that's helped me a lot to stay organized. hope it helps someone else.

...except that i don't need/can't order $25 worth of stuff right now to meet their minimum order. ...and...even if i ordered several to meet their minimum order, they want $11 to ship something that will fit into a first class envelope and they'd likely weigh less than an ounce. thanks anyway. i wish somewhere like fineleatherworking.com had them. they're one of the few places i've found that doesn't try to pad their profits with shipping.

hello...can someone please tell me where i might buy one of these awl blades? i've been trying to get by with the ones that came with my awl handle, but i'd like to try one of these. everywhere i've looked either doesn't have the #42 or they charge a hell of a lot of money for shipping. if you have a good source for these (that doesn't gouge on shipping), please reply here. i'd like to order one soon. thanks for any help..

that would probably be easier too. how do you taper with it?

you know what...i have a belt/disc sander. maybe I'll try the belt sander...sounds like it might be easier to use...

i can't get that doggone safety skiver to work right. do you have any tips that might help, please?

looks alright. i usually use slightly smaller thread and more spi on mine, but i guess that's personal preference or something. hard to see the edges in your pics. how did you finish them? the long wallet patterns look similar to the ones in the Japanese books i got. good designs in there.

Leathercrafttools.com has them for about $25 each...

i don't understand why you're bent on using thread that isn't meant to go in a machine.

Like this? http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/hardware/1233-00.aspx

well...i ordered a double shoulder from them and after seeing it and the samples, i will most definitely be buying from them again. great stuff...just wish they still honored that discount they used to offer. oh well...it is very nice leather.